Free Logo vs Professional: How DIY Can Maximize ROI

Are you currently redesigning your companies logo, or thinking about a rebrand in the future?

It only takes consumers 10 seconds to form a first impression of a brand’s logo. So if your logo doesn’t stand out, it could cost you new business.

Unfortunately, while every business owner wants a beautiful logo, hiring a personal graphic designer is expensive.

If you’re a large business, this might not be a problem. But if you’re small, just starting out or trying to do it all yourself, it’s a major expense that you might not have room for.

There’s also no guarantee that the logo they design will appeal to customers, so there’s the added risk of wasting your precious cash.

So how do you make an impression without breaking the bank? You create your own free logo.

If this sounds impossible, keep reading. We’ve got tips on how to create the best free logo for your business and an easy tool to help you create it.

Logos help your brand stand out

Logos are at the center of a businesses brand.

So why do businesses need custom logos anyway? It’s simple. Logos give your business an identity and help customers remember your name and product and/or service more easily.

On a deeper level, a solid logo and branding give your business an overall look of professionalism that establishes trust.

It may not be fair, but potential customers are making flash judgments when they look at your website, flyers, storefront, social media sites, etc.

You only get one shot to make a good first impression, so it’s crucial that it’s positive.

This is especially true for small businesses or start-ups. Large companies often attract a lot of attention so it might not matter if a couple potential customers are put off by their branding.

Small businesses already struggle to gain attention, so it’s crucial that you make a better first impression to establish better brand credibility.

Still not convinced that logos are key to business success? Check out some of these stats:

Customer loyalty can be worth up to 10 times as much as a single purchase, and good branding can help you build it

88 percent of customers say quality makes them loyal to a brand. A good-quality logo will impress them right off the bat

Clearly, customers love quality, and good branding establishes that.

Now that you know why you need a logo, how do you design one that will stick? Keep reading for our top tips for logo success.

Five tips for a successful logo

If you don’t have any design experience, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed by the thought of designing a logo. But don’t be. Choosing a design isn’t difficult, but there are some things to keep in mind:

1. Keep it simple

This is probably the most important rule of thumb when you’re designing a logo. But of course, there’s a fine balance between keeping things simple and being too vague with a logo.

When a customer sees your logo, you want them to instantly understand what your business is about. Customers these days have short attention spans, and they won’t spend more than a few seconds trying to discern what service you’re offering.

So don’t be too vague, and don’t overwhelm them with too much text or different colors. Find the sweet spot right in the middle.

2. Pick the right font

Once it’s time to actually start designing your logo, always keep our first tip in mind. Using too many fonts (or words in general) in your logo can get confusing for the customer.

Avoid commonly used fonts like Times New Roman. You want your logo to stand out, and these fonts are usually too generic to grab attention.

Another tip: make sure it can appeal to everyone. Don’t include text or fonts that are too small and hard to read. If people have to strain their eyes to read your logo’s text, they probably won’t be your customers.

Also, if you’re planning on using a slogan in your logo, make sure to proofread multiple times so that everything is grammatically correct.

3. Choose color wisely

Color increases brand recognition by 80 percent. So it’s key if you want your customers to like your logo, but also remember it and come back to your website or business again.

The possible color combinations for a logo are seemingly endless. So how do you choose? This choice is largely personal, but the colors you choose should reflect what your business does as much as possible.

For example, a fashion boutique might be more successful with a pink (or otherwise brightly colored logo) while a landscaping business might be better suited to use green or other earth tones.

4. Plan how you’ll use it

In terms of logos, size does matter.

So when you’re putting together your free logo, keep in mind how it’s going to be used. Are you just putting it up on your website? Then make sure it’s large enough to grab attention but not so big that it takes over the page.

Are you using it on your social media pages? Then make sure it’s colorful and catchy enough to grab attention in a crowded news feed.

Are you going to put it on flyers, banners or other promotional materials? Then make sure it can easily be sized up or down. The last thing you want on your marketing materials is a blurry logo or text.

5. Keep it original

This goes without saying, but make sure that your logo design is completely your own.

It might be tempting to pull ideas from famous logos, but what works for Coca Cola probably won’t work for your business. The more unique your logo is, the more it will stand out in the crowded business world.

You have the perfect formula for logo success, but why is it really better to create your own logo vs. handing over control to the pros? We’ll explain.

DIY to maximize ROI

No one knows your business better than you, right? So it makes sense that you should be in charge of designing your logo.

It’s easy to be intimated at the thought of creating a logo from scratch. But is having an expensive designer or agency design your logo really less stress on you?

Think about it: you’re paying extra cash and possibly putting yourself in a stressful financial strain. You’ve also got to deal with meetings with your designer and lots of back and forth if they don’t capture your vision.

Every business owner knows that time equals money. When designers go back and forth and waste time, they’re also wasting your money. It’s true, professional designs can often take weeks to complete, so that’s weeks where your business is without a logo and potentially missing out on business.

Designing your own free logo obviously saves you money, but it also saves tons of precious time.

Hopefully, by now you’re fully convinced that taking the DIY approach is the right choice for you. So what tool should you use to create your free logo? Keep reading to find out the best options.

Create your free logo now

Creating your own free logo (or doing any type of web design yourself) was once considered to be “cutting corners” and detrimental to your business.

But now, thanks to the beauty of technology and the internet, there are tools available to help you create professional-quality logos for free. They’ll be 100% your design and made in just a few minutes.

It really doesn’t get easier than that.

Now that you know everything your logo should have (and why it’s best to just DIY) it’s time to put your skills to the test. Still feeling intimidated? Don’t worry! OnlineLogoMaker is here to help!

And yes, the process really is free — there’s no smoke and mirrors here. Some sites claim to be free, only to make you pay to download multiple times or to unlock certain features.

That’s now how OnlineLogoMaker works. Our service, including all of our features and support, are completely free. You can create your new free logo for zero cost quickly and easily.

The first step in our process is to choose your font (or fonts) that you want to use. These consists of a wide array of dynamic font options from basics like Arial to more fun and eye-catching options.

After your fonts and text are added you can choose from our huge bank of symbols. Of course, our symbols are free to use in your logo, and we have hundreds of different categories from Animals to Zodiac signs. There is something for every type of business.

If you want to customize your free logo even more you can upload and edit your own image with our tool.

This is great if you’re more advanced, and have a design you’ve already created in Photoshop or another tool. Simply click to upload your image and easily arrange with your choice of text.

Ready to start transforming your business? Start your free logo today or contact us with any questions or concerns. Our team is always here to offer guidance and support to help you make the perfect logo.